Valley of Mist
by TheOneYouCallWe
Summary: Waiting for a time to act, to ask, all in the midst of a raging battle… Multiple pairings. Slash and hetero. Chapter 3: InoxTemari.
1. Chapter 1

Valley of Mist

Summary: Waiting for a time to act, to ask, all in the midst of a raging battle… Multiple pairings. Slash and hetero.

Ramblings: Inspired by the absolute cutest Hyuugacest picture ever, that just makes you go "awwww" at its' cuteness. Like waffles. Waffles are cute, especially sitting on my plate with syrup and sugar and peanut butter and prunes and mint chocolate chip ice cream and…

Chapter Main Pairing: _NejixHinata_

Notes: Incest, as if you couldn't tell.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 1: Wait.

"You must designate an heir soon, Neji."

"Yes…father." Neji loathed the title give to that man; certainly, he was no father. The distrust taught and driven into him since early childhood was no representation whatsoever of a father--one whom is meant to be a 'kind, loving person', who 'cares for the child in their darkest hour'.

Certainly, he would not love--or even care for at all, possibly abandoning him in a all forms except to mold him to become a great warrior for the Hyuuga branch, yet caged--if Neji were to, say, proclaim affections for Hinatal it also would be quite out-of-character and generally, more than likely, un-requited.

Aside from the overall angst of his dramatic life, he lived quite lavishly. True, rigorous training was inflicted upon him, forcing Neji to quell any emotion besides apathy, almost becoming the spitting image (personality-wise) of the Uchiha brat, Of course, he did not desire his mentor--**gods** no, Who the hell'd want _Gai-sensei?_

Please, refrain from answering that statement; it was rhetorical.

His breathing only slightly ragged, Neji collapsed against the trunk of the tree, careful to avoid any jutting--"ow!"--shurinken. He grimaced, but barely, as blood trickled lethargically down his shoulder and ignored it, merely shifting to a more comfortable position. He had just begun to fall into a light doze, as he heard low, but highly recognizable voices coming from the clearing nearest to him.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata's own meek, shy voice, versus that of the boy with lemons for hair (the same fragrance as well, as he had mysteriously overheard from a stranger with cold, piercing eyes and red clouds plastered all over his coat)--Neji could not remember the boy's name for the life of him; even if spoken repeatedly, it always trickled away (as if, short-term memory)…

"Ah, Hinata-chan! What are you doing here? I thought your teams' practice was later today! Or that's what I was told by Kiba…" Although Neji could not hear, nor see the boy and the girl, he could feel the boy's surprise, tinted with joy, and Hinata's nervousness radiating like sound waves off her.

"I…I came to watch you." Yes; he had noticed, recently, her courage gradually and steadily strengthening; ever since the Chuunin Exam battle with her, she had begun to change herself from the shy, awkward Hyuuga parakeet, to a bravem strong Hyuuga dove.

_'Ah…I can't wait.'_

**_ooooooo_**

She owed her thanks to Neji, as impossible as it was to believe. She did not believe in the hatred between the branches, and simply wished to know Neji as Neji, not as a familial enemy. After all, he had given her a calm (well, not **entirely** calm) defeat, teaching her through the process. She wished to become worthy enough to 'return the favor' ("one day you'll beat him, Hinata!"). Her study of Naruto-kun had become more studious, actually focusing on the _why_ of his movement, and not simply _how._ It opened up such a broad-range knowledge of jutsu and technique to her, as if she were a child once again; with everything she learned, she was once step closer, one small toddler step closer to defeating Neji.

"Ah, Hinata-chan!" apparently she had to him, unknowingly spoken, "What are you doing here? I thought your teams' practice was later today! Or that's what I was told by Kiba…" Naruto's grin was bright as always, radiating sunlight yet tinged with a sour aftertaste. The genuineity of it brushed over her heart. Nerves, Hinata; nerves!

She took in a shaky breath. "I…I came to watch you." Before the battle with Neji, her courage to speak so casually (or as casual as Hinata could become around her long-time crush) would have been non-existant, her merely stuttering and fleeing from the vicinity.

Oh yes, it was almost time.

_'I can't wait.'_


	2. Chapter 2

Valley of Mist

Summary: Waiting for a time to act, to ask, all in the midst of a raging battle… Multiple pairings. Slash and hetero.

Ramblings: Haha, shouta. I'm a jack of all trades, but certainly no master. :D (RYUUZAKI LOOKS LIKE A PANDA-MAN).

Chapter Main Pairing: _SasukexKakashi_

Notes: Shouta, mostly.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 2: Listen 

"I apologize; I was out of line." The only person the Uchiha would bother to show any form of emotion (besides anger or apathy) towards was him, and him alone: Hatake Kakashi, his mentor and self-appointed 'guidance counselor' of sorts. It was very unnerving for the both of them--Sasuke being a prick and Kakshi a pervert--to show any moderately positive emotion towards one another.

Kakashi's solution to the issue at hand was to ignore it entirely; to become absorbed in his latest Icha Icha Paradise and wave it off, as if nothing of any sort was amiss. As if he had not felt the heat of a much-underage boy against him, in ways law called 'unlawful'--Kakashi preferred 'unorthodox'.

"The Chidori is gradually strengthening. This is enough training for…today." He closed his one visible eye, avoiding any awkward glances. Kakashi heard an indignant puff of air, waiting cautiously for the pre-teen to stalk off in a huff of prepubescent testosterone indignancy that was melded with a minimal amount of hormones to control his violent mood swings.

Not control-calm-down mind you, but control-to-a-berserker-level control.

"Kakashi-sensei." Well, this was certainly…quite surprising. Usually the Uchiha would fume at Kakashi's blatant disregard, then storm off in a fit of emo-angst-rage, not possibly stare at him with those dark, saddened Sharingan-infused eyes.

Kakashi gave a brief consideration to running headlong into a nearby tree trunk. He was **not** a pedophile, damnit!

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"You wouldn't **tell** anyone about that, would you?"

"Gods no, Sasuke. What do you take me for, a pervert?" They shared a final wry grin of understanding. The moment Sasuke poofed off, Kakashi--all left to his lonesome--told himself to "listen to the birds fly".

**_ooooooo_**

All that stood between him and fully mastering the Chidori was Kakashi. The silver-haired jounin (Hatake despised the term 'gray') jounin with all of his perversity, was a crucial crutch Sasuke knew he would never be rid of entirely. Teaching the Uchiha, yet holding him back from complete success, always harming him--unintentionally, of course.

Yet, Sasuke did not hate him. The concept was rather improbable as all Kakashi wished for him was the best of anything and everything. Unfortunately, the least 'best' thing for him was Kakashi himself.

Kakashi was so contradictory.

Sasuke did not like, nor dislike the jounin; being the masochist he was, the thought of it all was tempting as he had recently acknowledged. His life was so drab and dram, having a conflict (emotional, physical, mental) would be entertaining and…rather thrilling.

"I apologize, I was out of line." He was dimly aware that he had been pressed against Kakashi in a far-more-than-teacher-to-student way, with a very awkward heat coursing through him, yet his physical appearance was as unemotional as always. How bizarre.

It was crooked and cruel how Kakashi disregarded it all with a wave of his novel and a dismissive reiteration of the state of the Chidori. He also was blatantly ignoring Sasuke's prying eyes, burying himself in his Icha Icha Paradise, forgetting pedoohiliac situations and submissive dark eyes.

It ticked Sasuke off to no end.

"Kakashi-sensei," he muttered determinedly; he was not going to fall to Kakashi's level and he **demanded** Kakashi's attention.

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"You wouldn't **tell** anyone about of this, would you?" He had received Kakashi's attention, now he wished for the situation to be kept 'under wraps' so to speak.

"Gods no, Sasuke. What do you take me for, a pervert?" The mood, lightening, shifted and rose to a higher degree; to a more underhanded and cunning tone. Sasuke bowed and took his leave, leaving behind a jounin whom--once again--had blanked out his own memories.

As Sasuke gave one final thrust of the Chidori to the nearby tree, the sound of thousand birds mercilessly echoing in his ear. "Listen to the birds fly…"


	3. Chapter 3

Valley of Mist

Summary: Waiting for a time to act, to ask, all in the midst of a raging battle… Multiple pairings. Slash and hetero.

Ramblings: Woo, another one. It's not my favorite, but it's out there. :3

Chapter Main Pairing: _InoxTemari_

Notes: Femme-slash, suggested music is 'Lonely in Gorgeous'.

Disclaimer: No own.

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Chapter 3: Deny

Always, continuously lying to herself. She did not revere the girl, did not find her a being of control and yet power, in a humanistic form. She did not wish the wind-master to acknowledge her own presence, to lay eyes on her and not disregard her. She did not wish to know the girl as more than an idol, did not wish to engage in something, _something_ beyond what she was entailed to.

Ino did not.

Or, that's what she told herself.

**_ooooooo_**

She hated triangles. They were too straight, too narrow, too cliché. Circles, however, she easily accepted, as they were often overlooked and yet were so perfectly shaped--not like a triangle or an oval. They were so different, so firm, so--

"Shit."

She had been found.

"Hi…Sasuke…" She preferred it, talking civilly with him instead of fangirling over him constantly. Not that they were speaking at the moment, but it was all the same.

The Uchiha appeared put-off, and was headed in the general direction of the nearby mountains. She was quite surprised, as he had not been seen for quite some time.

"Hello, Yamanaka…" He too, seemed wary of their oh-so coincidental meeting. Giving it some thought, he trounced up the tree she was perched on, and stood solemnly against the trunk.

There was silence.

"How long have you been training?"

"Four months."

She had a notion within herm of just the who and why of his training. There had always been a certain lust in his eyes when they focused in on his sensei, which she wasn't entirely too surprised of--more concerned for Umino-sensei.

"Why are you here?"

"Temari."

"A first-name basis?" His voice lacked in its usual arrogance; simply inquisitive.

Ino took her time in responding, however. She wrapped her arms protectively around her legs, her hands curling to angry fists. "Only when I'm not around her…" she mumbled weakly, her avid defiance lost. She reflected on most recent events with the girl, awkward touches and lonely glances. It was beyond comprehension, she believed it.

"Besides, she doesn't _really _want me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She wants another; I can tell. There's no emotion to what occurs between us," she failed to notice as Sasuke gave a violent jerk of alarm, "and it feels as such an accident."

"As if you were out of line?"

Ino scoffed. "Our entire **lives** are out of line. We are merely children in an unforgiving land, searching and searching for where we belong."

The two fell again into a comfortable silence, resolutions lifted, until Sasuke leapt off the trunk and said nonchalantly, "Maybe we're not supposed to belong anywhere, or with anyone for that matter," and fled off to the mountains, determination in his every step.

Ino watched her former crush flee off into the woods, contemplating her next move.

'…maybe. Just maybe…'


End file.
